Few, if any, in Normandy would not have been touched by her gentleness
and kindness during her active adult life in the affairs of the village,
be it in the Glaziers Lane sub-post office, the Congregational Chapel or
Sunday School. Equally, she will be remembered for her notable and adult
life companion, Robert Vernon Hammond ("Bob"). They cycled together
around the village, sharing their respective responsibilities in charitable
and voluntary activities.

Dorothy was born in 1925 to farming folk near Petersfield, but in 1929
her father moved with his small family to Fairview Farm Normandy to take
up the position of "Cowman" and was allotted one half of a nearby
tied cottage. Dorothy and her parents later moved to the nearby cottage
"Sunbeam", Guildford Road on the corner of Wells Lane.

It was fairly common in the early 1930s for water to be drawn from wells
but Dorothy, as a young child, was severely ill and the Doctor advised that
drinking water be obtained from the farm. Later water was extended to the
nearby cow sheds but not to the cottage. However, the distance father had
to carry the water was halved! Of interest - although many properties (but
not all), had mains water connected at that time, main-drainage to the village
was not available until 1965.

Photo of the class of 8 year olds at Wyke School 1934 with
teacher Miss Kent and Headmaster Mr Smith, Dorothy is the one with Mr Smith's
hand on her shoulder

Wyke School 1936 - Dorothy is in back row, standing 4th
from left

Wyke School 1938 - Dorothy is standing 2nd from right

As was then normal, Dorothy started school at 5 years of age and left
in 1939 when she was 14 years of age. Initially, she had an offer of a job
at a shop in Guildford but her parents didn't like the idea of her going
all that way every day. They were relieved, therefore, when Mr and Mrs
Mills offered her a job at their Glaziers Lane Sub Post Office.

She wasn't allowed to work in the Post Office proper until she was 16
years of age; so she delivered telegrams, of which there were many in those
days, since few house-holders could afford the luxury of a telephone! Hence
her initiation to the bicycle. She was obliged to buy this herself and
learn to ride to help speed-up delivery of the telegrams and save her feet!
She delivered telegrams as far afield as Pond Hill and Wood Street.

It was a seven day a week job (telegrams then were delivered also from
9am to 10am on Sunday mornings). She received 5/- a week plus dinner and
tea, albeit she had a half day off on Wednesdays but on other days Dorothy
worked from 8am to 6:30pm. She liked the work and in a short time showed
that she was a diligent operative in the affairs of the post office. Subsequently,
her father suggested that she should ask for a raise; so, when she finally
plucked up courage to do it, Mr. Mills agreed to pay her 8/- a week, but
she was obliged to go home for her dinner since that had been part of her
then wages!

Mrs Harris with Dorothy outside the Normandy sub-Post Office

During her time at the Normandy Sub Post Office it was several times
the target for armed robbers and Dorothy won two bravery awards in the 1980s
for her courage, one of which involved grappling with a raider, armed with
a sawn-off shotgun! The last attack on the post office was featured on the
BBC's "Crimewatch" TV programme; Hunts Hill Road was closed to
enable a reconstruction of the event.

Normandy Post Office, about 1967

Normandy Congregational Chapel at Willey
Green

During the 1939 - 1945 war years, Dorothy took over the playing of the
organ at the Congregational Chapel, Willey Green, from William Fooks, who
at that time was obliged to enlist, relinquishing her duties to him on his
return from the Army. William provided organ music for services until his
death in 1974 when, once again, Dorothy took over that duty for the congregation,
in addition to that of Sunday School Teacher in the 1960s.

Normandy Congregational Chapel - Sunday School 1951
with Dorothy Applebee at the back

A tea party at the Chapel in 1953, Dorothy Applebee is second
from the left,
the gentleman sitting to her left is Mr William (Bill) Fooks.(Click on Board to see an Enlargement)

In 1975 the Chapel celebrated its150th anniversary, following which,
it was obvious that the seating capacity for 60 was inadequate to accommodate
those wishing to attend the normal Sunday Service. Since the site was much
too small for further development an opportunity to acquire and re-develop
the defunct Telephone Exchange, Glaziers Lane and associated land came their
way, and so, in 1985 the Congregation re-locateded to its new premises with
the title - The Emmanuel United Reformed Church since the Congregationalists
had amalgamated with the Presbyterians to form "The United Reformed
Church" - normally abreviated to URC.

Over a lifetime of service to the Sub Post Office in Glaziers Lane, Dorothy
acquired a wonderful knowledge of most people, house names and the "little
known out of the way properties" in and around the village.

During the 1990's and onward, Dorothy willingly offered her 'organ playing'
services to help out at Worplesdon United Reformed Church when the 'regulars'
could not play. Being Dorothy, she soon made more friends and eventually
transferred her membership from Normandy U.R.C. where after her death a
Thanksgiving Service and reception for her life was held, and later a Bible
Reading board was placed in Worplesdon church in Dorothy's memory by a life-long
friend, Winifred Greenwood.

In 1999 Dorothy moved from "Sunbeam" to a nearby bungalow "Fleetwood",
also on the Guildford Road. In her last few years, Dorothy had to give
up her bicycle riding but enjoyed the company of a member of the Worplesdon
church for occasional trips to surgery and hospital and there were numerous
invitations to and fro for lunch and tea on a Sunday. Dorothy became a formidable
Scrabble player, even with her poor eyesight, and enjoyed daily crossword
puzzles. She also took a great interest in her garden, helping her friends
plant bulbs and flowers in pots on her patio to provide a riot of colour.
She was a very independent lady, but a truly good friend to many.

Dorothy enjoyed life at "Fleetwood" and had many visitors who
enjoyed her homely hospitality. She died in 2010 after a short illness.